| 16. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the genitive humon {ὑμῶν | hu-môn} placed first, giving emphasis to the disciples as the ones in view. The adversative conjunction de {δὲ | de} signals a contrast with those previously described as not seeing or hearing. The predicate adjective makarioi {μακάριοι | ma-ká-ri-oi} stands in the nominative masculine plural with the article hoi {οἱ | hoi} and the noun ophthalmoi {ὀφθαλμοὶ | oph-thal-moí} “eyes,” forming the sense “your eyes are blessed,” with the verb “to be” implied. The causal conjunction hoti {ὅτι | hó-ti} introduces the reason for this blessed state, followed by the finite verb blepousin {βλέπουσιν | blé-pou-sin} “they see,” where the third person plural verb grammatically agrees with “eyes” as the subject. The coordinating conjunction kai {καὶ | kaí} links a parallel structure concerning hearing. The accusative neuter plural ta ota {τὰ ὦτα | tà ô-ta} “the ears” are qualified again by the genitive humon {ὑμῶν | hu-môn}, and a second hoti {ὅτι | hó-ti} clause with akouousin {ἀκούουσιν | a-koú-ou-sin} “they hear” mirrors the first clause. This repetition of hoti-clauses for both seeing and hearing creates a balanced parallelism that reinforces comprehensive spiritual perception. In translation, the implied copula is supplied (“are”) to make the predicate relationship explicit, and both “because” clauses are retained to preserve the symmetrical causal structure. |